Period 3: Genevieve Danial
Journalism students were split when they were offered the opportunity to go on a fieldtrip to Whitewater, Wisconsin to attend a journalism conference or attend the LZHS homecoming assembly on October 14.
Journalism students had the choice to attend an all day conference that the Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA) hosted at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater or the LZHS homecoming assembly, a major high school event. This created a controversy for many students: to go to the assembly or the fieldtrip.
“I think people didn’t go because they didn’t really know what KEMPA was all about and they didn’t want to miss the homecoming assembly,” Madeline Jordan, junior, Advanced Journalism student, said.
Out of the 61 students in the journalism program at LZHS, only 26 went on the fieldtrip.
At the conference, KEMPA taught over 100 sessions to about 1,500 students on various topics, like photography and creating newspapers.
“My favorite part was the speakers. I met this one speaker and he was really funny. He had a lot of good advice,” Jordan said.
Many journalism students attended the assembly and not Whitewater. A lot of freshmen were reluctant to go to Whitewater because this was the first homecoming assembly they had the chance to go to.
“Now that I have the feel of the assemblies, I think I’d have probably done something else,” Hannah Spoerlein, Journalism 1 student, freshman, said.
Students that went on the fieldtrip had a good time, even though they were missing the assembly. But, with all the pressures of school, there were other reasons people did not go on the fieldtrip.
“I didn’t go because I didn’t want to feel stressed out with homework and didn’t want to do a lot of make-up work,” Spoerlein said.
Period 7: Lexi Miranda
LZHS students visited University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for a Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA) conference on October 14 to learn more about journalism.
Both Journalism 1 (J1) and Advanced Journalism (AJ) students had the opportunity to go on the field trip, but only 25 of the 61 attended. At KEMPA, students were able to choose from over 100 different classes that taught them about newspaper, yearbook, radio, or broadcasting.
Even though many students think that this field trip is a great opportunity, less than half of the journalism program went on the trip. This is mostly because the homecoming assembly was also on that Friday, so many students did not want to miss it.
Carolyn Busse, freshman, is one of the J1 students that did not attend the trip.
“I didn’t go to KEMPA because it was homecoming and I didn’t want to miss it. It’s mainly because I’m in cheer, though. I doubt I’d be able to go,” Busse said.
On the other hand, many other students that went to KEMPA would have rather gone on the field trip than see the homecoming assembly.
Maggie Monson, senior, is an AJ student that went to KEMPA and has loved attending the field trip each year she has gone.
“Yeah, [I was happy I went on the field trip instead of seeing the homecoming assembly], I’ve seen three other homecoming shows and I went last night. KEMPA will always hold a special place in my heart, so I wouldn’t want to miss my last opportunity to go. My favorite part of KEMPA is getting the experience of being on a college campus and having college-like freedom,” Monson said.
Carolyn Wagner, Journalism teacher, thinks that the field trip is a great opportunity for her students to attend KEMPA because they get to chose what they are learning about.
“They have an opportunity to learn in a more diverse and exciting setting,” Wagner said. “It allows them to choose what they’re learning about.”
Period 3: Hannah Bellamy
A local newspaper reporter spoke to an LZHS journalism class about the evolution of journalism during their class Thursday.
Ronnie Wachter, Pioneer Press Reporter, visited the journalism classes of Carolyn Wagner, English teacher, to discuss journalism in the 21st century and the changes that it is currently undergoing, such as journalism’s transition to the digital age.
“Journalism is not dying,” Says Wachter, when asked if he thought the transition from print to electronic newspapers would bring the end of the industry.
When students asked if he had any advice for aspiring writers, Wachter said to “do what it takes,” “practice punctuation when you’re texting,” and to always “be curious.”
Wachter also said that he thought that the ease with which news could be reported to the people, by reporters with nothing more than laptops and digital cameras was a positive thing, and that he wasn’t worried the internet killing off journalists as many Americans were suggesting.
Watcher had earlier said that he “believe[s] in what we do, it’s an important service.”
“Journalism is the only private industry in the United States that has a duty spelled out by the constitution,” Wachter also said. “Journalism is communication, and communication is an instinct. It’s never going to go away.”
Period 7: Marli Jorn
A local journalist came to the school last Thursday to talk to a journalism class about the career of professional writing.
Ronnie Wachter, reporter, came to Carolyn Wagner’s 3rd and 7th period journalism classes to talk about his job as a reporter for the Pioneer Press and to inform students about possibly choosing to follow a life and career of journalism.
“I got started in 1992. I volunteered for my high school’s newspaper and I really liked it. I studied at the University of Kansas and got my degree in journalism,” Wachter said.
Wachter said his favorite thing about his job was learning new things. He learns about many different topics, like politics, insurance, and school systems. His least favorite part about his job was the pay.
“I work for peanuts, but I enjoy my job so that puts me ahead of about 75% of the population,” Wachter said.
“You need to be thick skinned because you will be yelled at by angry readers, be threatened to have lawsuits filed against you and threats of bodily harm. But they’re all punks, they never do any of it,” Wachter said. Wachter feels starting early and pursuing journalism as a career is a very good idea.